#that they're going to talk about him next episode and then forget about him forever

[mispelled]

Why be left with no family and no friends?

[the5n00k]

An observation about TGAMM The End

Big big spoilers ahead, click away if you aren't caught up

This is also my first NEGATIVE TGAMM analysis post! Wowie! So if you don't want to see me bitch, also click off now

The End and how Molly McGee's character was disrespected

The End is. An episode. I have many MANY thoughts about it but it would be far too long to put in one post so I'm going to explore one of my more reoccurring opinions. This episode recontextualized a lot of things but I'm going to talk about how it recontextualized Molly as a character. Most importantly as a MAIN character. A TITLE character. A character with her own past and personality and feelings. All of which this episode completely stomped all over, handed her the check, and said "figure it out"

I want to apologize to my friend who called this so SO much earlier into the series and that he had to listen to me watch this show on lethal amounts of copium. You were right but I knew neither of us wanted you to be.

Now let's get into the meat of it, shall we?

All throughout season 1, Molly's history and relationship with the concept of friends is always treated with complete sincerity and the emotional pause it needs to sink in with the audience that she's been through it. Moving away and leaving friends is why she put so much importance on the "forever home" in the first place because she's had to leave so many people she loved. She had a rocky beginning with Scratch during the early season but quickly became on equal footing with him as they began to understand each other and their boundaries. Because she genuinely cares about him. Similarly, season 2 explores the boundaries of their friendship and shows Scratch more willing to participate in whatever Molly is doing, even begging sometimes to be included. And Molly is very patient and kind with him all throughout trying to help him regain memories of his past. And Scratch actually reciprocated a few times like helping her learn Thai and working with Libby to set her up with Ollie. They're the closest they've ever been and something I can confidently call true best friends, possibly the closest and healthiest friendship I've seen portrayed in media. Season 2 showcases how far either of them are willing to go to help each other.

Then The End happened.

Molly is the same understanding and supportive friend as she had been all season, almost to a fault. She encourages scratch to go back to his life, knowing the risks that come with it. Why did there need to be the risk of forgetting her when his spirit didn't immediately forget his living life? Don't know. Something to do with an unreleased episode although I doubt the rest of season 3 would have sweetened my opinion of this episode. Only she knew he was about to do this, she didn't talk to any of his other friends or family before he went out to Todd's house. They only found out after the fact and the next morning is when he left. None of them had any time to process that they just lost a family member, especially not Molly.

The scene where he's talking to her on the bench breaks my heart. Knowing your friend is no longer there and is replaced with this stranger. So much of this episode would have been fixed to just let him keep his memories. Considering how hard it was to pull his living memories out of his spirit, it's very likely that even the small fragments of her he remembers will slowly fade away. She had to do the one thing she never wanted to do again and repeat the same pain that's plagued her for the entire series. And it sucks! Why doesn't she get a happy ending? Hell, I'm not even convinced this was a "happy ending" for scratch since he can't remember any of the people he just spent the last two years with.

The biggest slap to the face is when Libby, Geoff, and the McGees come up behind Molly and just act like all of this is fine? They're treating scratch like this wild animal that deserved to be released into the wild because he could never fit in with society when he was PERFECTLY HAPPY with the McGees. He proudly displayed to the entire ghost world that he was an "honorary McGee" and told a ghost hunter to his face that him and Molly would do anything for each other despite their differences. Was all of that completely pointless? Because it sure feels that way. He had this entire new "life" he just completely abandoned because oh I guess I'm not really dead. Guess I better go reconnect with my childhood friend I haven't seen in person or had any meaningful conversations with in decades!!! See ya, chumps, hope you weren't attached to me or anything!

It's so disrespectful to the audience's investment in Molly and Scratch's friendship, the themes of friendship overcoming all odds and lasting forever, and Molly as a character. And to a lesser degree, it's even disrespectful to Scratch since most of the season he spent brooding over the fact that he didn't remember his past! Now he's forgotten a large portion of his "life" all over again. Now he's going to have to live with this nagging itch at the back of his mind that he's forgetting something until he manages to completely repress it too. And to rub salt in the wound, the credits don't have near sight nor mention of Molly McGee outside of a painted portrait of her and (spirit) scratch. All this does is tell me a LONG time has passed and neither of them have managed to successfully contact each other. The dream team is gone, this is a story about a girl and a ghost and none of it meant anything.

"he'll remember when he dies again!" Where does it say that

"he didn't forget, he said Moll! That means something!" The longer he spends away from the McGees and Brighton, the more likely he is to completely forget them altogether. The vague memories will eventually fade away and every "forever memory" will be worthless.

"it doesn't matter, this is Scratch's story" then why isn't it called 'scratch and the human girl'? Or 'the scratch show'? Why is Molly a title character if she's nothing but a plot device for his character development.

"Molly had to learn how to say goodbye." No she didn't. She's been doing that her entire life. She's pretty well aware of how to say goodbye. Making her relive 13 years of trauma from the other side of the vehicle doors is not a useful life skill. Pain is not necessary to grow up.

I don't care what the excuse is. This was a terrible ending for both characters and no amount of "he's happy now!" coping from both the fans and the writers is going to get me to see this any other way. If you enjoy the episode, great! I'm happy for you, there's a lot to love in the music and voice acting and breathtaking animation. But none of that could save me from this abysmal attempt at a series finale. I was so viscerally disgusting by this as a finale that I spent a good two days completely nauseous thinking about it. What a disaster. The sad part is I like the story potential! Him reuniting with Adia is what I've wanted for him all season so he could get closure. Molly and Scratch having to say goodbye is heartbreaking but understandable, a lot of shows nowadays end that way and I half expected it. But him completely forgetting the girl he owes his new lease on life to? My gosh it's just a deal breaker. It is such a cruel end for these characters and I cannot wrap my head around why they thought it was a good idea outside of cheap angst.

I wanted to like this episode and I still do. But they just did so much wrong when one thing could change and it would have completely flipped my opinion on the episode and series in general. But what do I know, I'm just a negative nancy.

Anyway idk how to end this off, justice for Molly McGee, Scratch deserved to be called Scratch McGee, kill Todd Mortenson, peace out

[camlannpod]

Character Playlist: Dai Thomas

Happy off-week! Episode 2 will be with us next Monday, so in the interim I'm going to be taking these first few off-weeks to talk about our character playlists!! As you might have noticed, episode one is very much themed around Dai - so here's his playlist.

It's Called: Freefall - Paris Paloma

Anyway, you say you're too busy Saving everybody else to save yourself And you don't want no help, oh, well That's the story to tell

Despite appearances, Dai cares a lot about other people, and considers himself to be the emotional caretaker of the group. He knows Perry and Morgan have got the practical stuff covered, but he also knows that sometimes they're so busy surviving they forget how to live. That's what he's there for. He's the morale guy!

2. Waking Up The Giants - Grizfolk

We're the rhythm of the darkest nights We're the truth that's been left unspoken We're the shadows far beyond the lights We're waking, waking, waking up the giants

This one's pretty self-explanatory, and could be used for the show itself. We're in the apocalypse! There's a lot of stuff that our gang doesn't know yet about how all this works. And, from a folkloric perspective, giants are a huge part of Brittonic stories and literature.

3. Dear Fellow Traveller - Sea Wolf

Dear fellow traveler under the moon I saw you standing in the shadows and your eyes were blue You put your hand out, opened the door You said, "Come with me, boy, I want to show you something more"

Of the whole gang, Dai is the one who most wants to see the sheer wonder in this apocalypse. He refuses to believe that it's relentlessly cruel or relentlessly deadly. He doesn't see it as rot or poison so much as transformation. There's a part of him that's genuinely excited to explore this strange new world they're all living in.

4. Wolves of the Revolution - The Arcadian Wild

Stay awake, oh, from the wolves you run barefoot With their libellous venomous words, they shoot Pulled and panicked, the door is locked And you're trapped inside of your own heart

This one's for Dai and the Knights. As a Nameless survivor, Dai had a very hard time when the trio were with the Knights, and felt horribly powerless and horribly scared. Despite his bravado, and his determination to believe in the good of other survivors, he is just as afraid of going back as the others are.

5. Free the Beautiful - Harletson

Tell them to free the beautiful Our words are more than critical Tell them to free the bеautiful

As a character for me, Dai has a bit of Cassandra to him. Again this is about his determination to see the light in this apocalypse - to find beauty and magic in it, to believe in the kindness of others. Morgan and Perry are justified in their skepticism, but Dai knows they need to be reminded to hope for something better. Otherwise what's the point?

6. Should We Let the Fire Die? - Branches

Should we let the fire die? The sparks still have a flicker and the night is growing thicker, but Should we let the fire die?

So obviously this is about Dai's fire, and his hope with it - his refusal to give up entirely on the old world and all the people that were in it. But it's also very much about what a deeply romantic, deeply loving person he is. The kind of man who wishes for an evening to last forever, if only he can spend it with the person he loves.

7. Fuck It I'm A Flower - Crying Day Care Choir

Fuck it, I'm a flower Growing taller every day Getting greener by the hour And I don't care what people say

Dai has never been the most macho man in the room. His power doesn't come from physical strength and skill, he isn't a natural born leader, he isn't really forceful in anyway. Growing up in a fundamentally sexist world, that was a source of insecurity for him, but as he got older he began to defiantly celebrate this aspect of his personality along with his queerness. He's emotionally intelligent, kind, gentle and funny. He's the group's heart.

8. Hallelujah - Oh Wonder

Some days I don't think my mamma thinks I'm good enough to be a superstar But one day I will show her I'm a diamond in the rough, I'll be a superstar

Everyone underestimates Dai all the time. In the apocalypse that's a lot more literal, because he's Nameless, and groups like the Knights only really care about people's Names. He gets sick and tired of this, and frustrated with people constantly assuming he won't be capable of taking care of himself and others. This song is about Dai embracing the power he's had all along.

9. We Will All Be Changed - Seryn

We can write with ink and pen But we will sew with seeds instead Starting with words we've said And we will all be changed

This song is on all our core characters' playlists! In some ways yes, literally, they will all change by the end of the series. But it's also about them moving from fighting and surviving to living, healing and growing. They think they might have finally found somewhere safe to weather the apocalypse. What do they do now?

[consulting-ghosts]

Guys, do you realize that the few moments we were privileged to share with them is like 0,000000000000000000000000000000000000001 % or probably even less of all the moments they share together? I just wanted to point it out, because soo many people still thinks what we see in the show is their whole story, when it's only a very small part of it. 

Neil mentioned that they met a lot of times before the fall. My first proof was actually when Crowley mentioned in the Shakespeare episode, that they both did eachother jobs many times before and we never saw that. It's bold of you to assume they would be able to stay aways from each other for a hundred years or more. 

Especially if they were kind of friends even before the fall.

Isn't it already established that Az put himself in a compromising position in Bastille, because he wanted to lure Crowley out, for a crepes date? 😂 There's no reason for him to dress like that otherwise. 

Also you forget, they are alone on Earth. Sure they met many people, which they like very much, but at the end of the day, this people don't really know who they are, with few examples, so it's understandable that they seek each other's company. 

I like to think that they met at least once in a few months. Definitely post Jobs story. 

I consider this episode as of them reconnecting after the fall and reestablishing their relationship. 

If we look at all the moments these two share before this you can clearly see that Azi is happy to see him, but there's also this apprehension. He's unsure, like he doesn't really know how to approach him. And I always assumed it was because Azi never knew a demon and didn't know how to deal with it, but I think it's something else.

What if Azi was afraid that his beautiful soul and what made Crowley - Crowley would be gone after the fall? Did he think he lost his friend forever? That would explain his insecurity, because Crowley as a demon was different from Crowley as an angel. 

That also gives so much more meaning to the scene when they talk about saving kids. It's  not only about kids, It's also about Azirphale needing desperately to know if his Crowley is still there. For a second when he buys Crowley's lie you can see how devastated he looks. I'm pretty sure he would still spend time with him but it would be hard for him. When he realized that Crowley lied, you know, he lighted up like a fucking lanternt.

Also, was Crowley's connection to Aziraphale the thing that allowed him to keep his soul this pure, opposite to many other demons?

No wonder that Azi never even entertained the idea of going back to Heaven; it probably never felt like home to him without Crowley, because Crowley is his heaven. 

No wonder he never understood why Crowley fell in the first place. He knew how pure his soul was before. 

Did part of him resent them for that? Was this the reason that slowly led to him working against heaven like in the Job episode? 

Did he blame himself because he wasn't able to stop him from being too curious??

There's so many questions, we will probably never get unswears too. 

So please, stop threatening their fight in ep. 6 like the end of the world. It's painfull to see they're separated by fuck up circumstances again, but for them its like a walk in the park. It's one of many fights they had since they're both ill tempered, I'm sure. It doesn't matter. What's important is that they always apologize and find their way back to each other. They will do it again next season, and heaven better be prepared for what Azi has in store for them. 

[beasts-of-jadewood]

For my first attempt at making a "tumblr-style" post, I'll be rating Goodbye Volcano High characters on a scale of 1-10 based on how I think my first date with them would go.

This is entirely dependent on what dialogue options the player chooses. Nice, friendly, accomodating Fang would try their best to make the evening as pleasant for the both of us as possible but I'd probably realize that they're either reading a walkthrough of my dialogue checks or just trying way too hard, leading to an overall 7/10 night. Mean, selfish, asshole Fang would talk about K-On for 2 hours and ignore everything I say before watching with a completely emotionless face as I get up amd walk out of their life forever. 2/10.

Trish would probably take me to a bug museum and talk about her favorite bugs and ask me what my favorite bug was, at which point I'd respond with some bullshit answer like "the Worms from Kamen Rider Kabuto" before we would both start explaining our respective niche interests to each other without retaining any of what the other person said until we both forget why we're there and go our separate ways, feeling confused but vaguely satisfied. 5/10.

Reed's idea for a first date is probably inviting me to his D&D party or something, at which point I would start explaining to him that I think D&D's modifier-based dice roll system doesn't accurately represent skillfulness as much as something like Fate's multi-dice system, then launch into a rant about how I think D&D is a fascist colonialist product that promotes violence and has little to no thoughtful mechanics outside of combat. I will either be killed immediately for what I've said and my body eaten given the fact that Reed is a carnivorous dinosaur, or the argument will proceed for the next 6 hours to no real avail until we're both exhausted and I go home, leaving Reed alone to smoke pot and watch Critical Role episodes until he falls asleep. 2/10.

Naser would prepare a full list of horse puns for his first date with me given that I am a unicorn and possibly try to make me fall for updog a few times despite the fact that it's the year of our lord 2023. I would quickly let him know that my ability to make jokes is even shittier than his own by reciting old memes from 2012 that I saved in the back of my brain to impress my boomer parents with. We'd then proceed to both laugh at each other while cringing until our skins are fully inside-out. At the end of the date, Naser would ask me to pull his finger, and I'd be too slow to do so before he accidentally shits himself from the cheap dinosaur-korean barbecue we had for dinner, ending the night with a highly awkward but overall 8/10 experience.

Anyway, that's it for part 1. I have four more characters to go. Please let me know if you want more of this kind of content from me. Thanks.

@wolfnanaki @rustybottlecap I'm tagging you two because you're the only blogs that show up when I search "Goodbye Volcano High" in the blogs tab.

[mlobsters]

supernatural s11e12 don't you forget about me (w. nancy won)

hookman redux? oh no it's just what's her face with the good hair and a sword. i don't remember jody's other girl *at all*. she also does not look remotely like a teenager. i know it's hard with casting young people. anyway, very cute to see jody so happy and proud.

why is there so much weird food content in this episode, please 😭 sam and dean are so bored at home, they should be cooking more. we know they can do it! (dean, you know how happy you could make sam with something simple like this, roast chicken and mashed potatoes and green beans is dead easy and tasty and nutritious!)

JODY This is according to the - HEY! [JODY looks at ALEX, who has tried to sneak her wine glass away.] Put it back! [ALEX puts the wine glass back.] JODY … neighborhood crime blogs that Claire has been reading. CLAIRE They're eye-witness accounts. SAM Well, we've hunted on less.

jody's face had me cackling. sam no longer the favorite son 😒

okay so. kathryn newton who plays claire is 19 and supposed to be... 19! and she looks 19. (have i mentioned how much i love her hair?) and katherine ramdeen who plays alex is 25-6 and is supposed to be... 18. sitting next to each other and bickering, it's kind of stark. also kind of funny that they mention barely recognizing her twice. not the only one. was thinking she was recast maybe, but nope

ALEX Claire did catch a werewolf. Oh right! Turned out to be a German shepherd with rabies. JODY And before that was the vampire. Councilwoman into erotic cosplay. I didn't know what cosplay was before that. Super embarrassing for the whole force. DEAN Wow. You've been busy.

i feel bad for claire but this is pretty great

CLAIRE Real life? Okay. Yeah, sure. Let's get real. You and Henry set on a weekend yet? ALEX What? CLAIRE When you sneaking off to Jody's cabin to screw yourself silly? DEAN Ohhh. Here we go.

getting her revenge, as is the sibling way.

honestly, i'm eating this up. sam and dean could use some normal loving family dysfunction for once

JODY Hey, if we can't talk about it we shouldn't be doing it, right? Right? [SAM stutters.] DEAN What?

jody looking to the boys for backup and they're completely falling down on the job 😔 this is also weirdly topical because i've been prepping my 10 year old with information about puberty and basics of sex ed lol

JODY And don't expect the guy, as much as I love Henry, to always show up packing. (To SAM and DEAN) Am I right? [SAM looks down at his plate and takes another bite to avoid answering. Dean stares at her blankly.] DEAN What? JODY Seriously?

useless! :p

i am reveling (obviously) in the domestic awkward bullshit.

JODY And but even there, I feel like I should be teaching her about boyfriends, and relationships, you know, stuff a mom would teach her. DEAN Sammy and I could've benefited from a little of that.

it's fine, i'm fine. hey maybe jody can straighten dean out and get him to talk to sam about amara. they help with the kids, she can help the bigger kids :p

CLAIRE Maybe it's time I just head out on my own. And be a full-fledged hunter. SAM Claire. I absolutely understand the need to hunt. Believe me. I do. But the monsters are always going to be there. On and on. Forever. But a chance at a family? At a home? School? That won't be.

probably rationing the use but i think this could have done with the mushy music. feeling for claire and sam.

also that's a huge bedroom

dean trying to be stern and lecture claire and give alex's boyfriend the stink eye, silly :p

ALEX You should know… I've done some really bad things. Hurt people. I should've told you before. HENRY Everybody's done stuff they're ashamed of. I mean, there was this one kid we all tortured in middle school, I-I can't even think about it. Alex! Hey. I don't care. Whatever it is you did, I don't. Okay?

very "this is the skin of a killer, bella"

jesus bad guy is beating the shit out of jody. very effective in how they shot/edited it

LOL aaand the boyfriend is a vampire, of course. didn't see the, i tried to help you out from a bad man but you took me back to your vampire nest and got turned, story. but made sure to vanquish any sympathy we might have had for the dude after saying he turned a high school kid into a vampire just to ruin her life as revenge

good old sibling bonding over killin vampires, a classic

adorable and always good to have more data that sam doesn't just eat salad :P

hey it's music reminding me of princess bride, i wonder if it's the same music as last time that reminded me of princess bride. that was a while ago (8x06 and 8x14 [which i included a clip of the music, dean setting up his room in the bunker with family pictures etc]). after comparing, the beginning is sorta similar but then it sort of mashes up into something else

DEAN You gonna be alright now that you're outnumbered again? JODY Ah, as long as everyone wears a condom, we'll be fine. DEAN I want that bumper sticker.

true that. told my 10 year old that it's important to know about sex and how babies get made because we don't want any surprise babies running around and the look he gave me: 😵‍💫

i think a lot of it is jody/kim rhodes but the katherine/kathryns also did great making the whole family dynamic with sam and dean work - and the writing! like hey you all can still do a good monster of the week and have really nice, touching and funny moments with the side characters - two episodes in a row! and i didn't even get disgruntled over amara drama once this episode woot woot

[ravens-words]

••••• 《 Timeless 》 •••••

Fics [>2k]

Everybody Knows [14.8k]

The five times someone assumed they're together, and Eddie had to correct them, and the one time it happened and he didn't have to.

to watch you fall [12.9k]

Buddie through Maddie's eyes.

to live for the hope of it all [6.1k]

The team faces the possibility of losing Buck, and it forces Eddie to confront the feelings he has for Buck.

Java Blues [5.5k]

Bobby doesn't share his coffee with anyone. Ever. (Unless it's Buck.)

Or, eight times Buck drank Bobby’s coffee, and the one time Bobby made it for him.

I'll be loving you for quite some time [5.7k]

Five times Buck and Eddie needed an excuse to share the bed, and the one time they didn't.

In Your Arms [4.9k]

Hurt!Buck, Caring!Eddie and love confessions

i will write the stars for you [4.1k]

Emotional Hurt/Comfort. Christopher is an angel. Eddie's in love. Also, a little Firefam love.

You're in my heart like an Infection [3.8k]

Hurt Buck (Appendicitis). Idiots in love. Getting together.

nothing safe is worth the drive [3k]

Eddie, not for the first time, wondered what he'd done to deserve Buck in his life.

Getting together, Chris and Buck cuteness.

Lavender Haze [2.3k]

They go to an ice rink. Buck makes a fool of himself, and they finally kiss.

Ficlets [1_2k]

N/A

Drabbles [<1k]

N/A

•••••••• 《AUs》 ••••••••

Fics [>2k]

Zombie AU

Ficlets [1_2k]

Trouble [1.1k]

Eddie has a sexuality crisis less than five minutes after meeting Buck.

Drabbles [<1k]

N/A

•• 《Episode Related》 ••

Fics [>2k]

I'll hold you longer than forever [2.4k]

"God forbid you make this easy on me, huh?" The beeping of the heart monitor is his only answer. Eddie sighs, takes Buck's hand in his, and squeezes it. He knows he should talk to him, let him know he's there, but words escape him every time he tries. So, he watches the mechanical rise and fall of his chest instead, watches his face for an indication that he's waking up, even though he knows he won't find it. He watches, and he waits.

Post 6.10. Eddie POV. Getting together.

Stuck In Love [2.1k]

So," Eddie started, feigning casual as they waited for the elevator to reach their floor, "you broke up with Taylor."

Buck and Eddie are trapped in an elevator.

A Box Full of Memories [3k]

Buck doesn't care about his birthday.

Eddie is determined to change that.

Ft. Buckley Siblings Love (and a certain baby box) , Pining Eddie, and fire fam feels.

you were not made to be loved in parts [2.6k]

Post 4.05. Buddie.

Buck recieves the comfort he deserves.

help me remember to forget [2.2k]

"I keep telling myself that, but it won't. It never gets better; it just keeps getting worse." "It won't always be that way, kid. I promise."   Buck and Bobby comfort. Buddie ft. Bobby Knows TM.

heaven can't help me now [11.7k]

You can't keep a secret forever, Maddie figures that out the hard way.  (4.04-05)

Wait For Me to Come Home [5.2k]

Eddie is hurt in the street fight, and Lena calls Buck to take him home.

Couldn't see it coming, love [10k]

A look into what happened before, during and after the tsunami.

Ficlets [1_2k]

workin' on empty [1.8k]

He chocked on his next breath, his limbs went weak with relief. The relief was short lived, however, when he managed to get a good look at the situation they were in. Buck was kneeling, hands behind his head, and a gash on his head. His eyelids were drooping, and he was swaying slightly.

5.06 Speculation fic.

Drabbles [<1k]

Distance [627]

Eddie takes Christopher to see Buck.

Post 5.06

•••• 《Crossovers》 ••••

I could lie to you all my days (but you're the one) [10.5k]

Buddie and Tarlos. Buddie get together, Tarlos help out along the way.

[whencallstheheart]

Ugh where to begin.....

First of all, watching the end where it was previewing next week's episode; why must Lucas always ask Elizabeth if she trust him? It's so annoying. She agreed to marry you I would hope she would.

Second, I'm glad Henry stepped up and suggested that Elizabeth really look in and examine why she was truly upset. Henry sees it so, I think it's only a matter of time before the town does too. You can't hide anything in Hope Valley. Was it truly over Nathan? Was it just bringing up Jack and how it all ended? Was it a little bit of both? I guess only time will tell. I definitely don't think she has fully grieved or moved on from Jack. Will she break up with Lucas & go towards Nathan, I just don't know. Personally, I would like to see it yes, will it happen probably not but, you truly never know.

I know we are getting a next season but, personally I'm not sure how much longer this show has in it. It's just hard after 10 seasons, will be 11; it's hard to just not watch. I really am beginning to wonder what the end game of WCTH is; and many more seasons they truly do see continuing. I mean would everyone stay in Hope Valley and live the "happily ever after" ending? Would the town just not survive and everyone would need to move to the bigger city? The possibilities are endless but, it's not gonna last forever and I just curious from a "big picture" type of thing what you kind of see for the future of WCTH is.

The trust me thing is about his run for office to save the town. That's his big plan that'll surely work somehow.

The Henry stuff was fantastic! I love that he finally got to be the one to give someone advice instead of everyone always trying to nudge him in a certain direction. I honestly couldn't believe they went so full-on with Henry noticing it and going to her about it when he could've just let her deal with it herself since it's not his business. Henry cares about Elizabeth and I felt like that was him really looking out for her like she's done for him. That seemed like a big moment that might get put on the backburner now with so much else going on. I'm kind of thinking we're in for a frustrating cliff hanger this season.

I definitely don't think Elizabeth has fully grieved but, like we've been over before, why involve Nathan? She can grieve and work through whatever apprehensions or fears she has on her own. Or better yet talk them through with the man she chose to marry. She seems to forget he exists sometimes. She claimed that her feelings and fears with Nathan were about Jack years ago so now we're just gonna be back to that? She hasn't done any work on herself since then? If so, she needs to leave Nathan alone. She's making it so messy. She's uncomfortable with Allie getting so close to Jack but Allie's cool with everything. She's moved on. Elizabeth is the one making it a potential problem because of her unresolved feelings.

I'd obviously love to see Elizabeth come to her senses and get with Nathan but I'm so conflicted about the whole thing. Nathan deserves better. He deserves to be someone's first choice.

I honestly could see the show continuing for a lot longer. It's still doing well. Hallmark still seems really excited about it. I think it would just kind of continue as it is. We've never really gotten to see Elizabeth as a wife with a family so that would presumably be season 12 and beyond. She'd have some more babies I'm sure. I want to see Henry find love. Bill, too. I want to see Lee and Rosemary raise Goldie and maybe have more kids. There's a lot they could do with the characters that people would still stick around for. Yeah it's been on for a long time but there's still so much people want to see happen with these characters they're attached to, you know? More new people would be introduced. Maybe we'll follow Allie or Robert or Angela as they get older.

[hueningshaped]

AMOR☹️☹️☹️ no listen because ngl i do always get very anxious when people take long to reply to my asks but i literally always feel so reassured when i read your replies because NO WAY YOU WROTE A WHOLE TWO POSTS FOR ME THERE ARE REAL ACTUAL TEARS IN IN MY EYES😿😿 you are the absolute SWEETEST person to exist and if you disagree you're wrong sorry this isn't a democracy😐 presenting me a ring huh? you're a little late cause there already is one on your finger😌 and yes omg tyun my beloved<3333 i have such a HUGE soft spot for him it's actually embarrassing,, also as expected you have a very superb taste!!! popping star outfits are just so hhhhhh and the performances too!!!! they always seem to have so much fun and the colors are just SO. no words actually . also very much disagree with your friends❓ not crying to txt songs is very suspicious behavior and should be investigated immediately🤨 NO cause you're so right!!!! now that there's barely any snow anymore it's so painful to think of it as being something i won't experience anymore :/ stop omg i always feel so appreciated when i read your replies i instantly get hit with a dopamine rush, i WILL get that blog running soon!! i'm just on vacation now so i can't really define "soon"💔 about horror movies!! i am kinda jumpy but it doesn't really haunt me?? i will have a gorilla grip on whoever is unfortunate enough to be sitting next to me though🫶🏻 i LOVED atla as a child i knew all the episodes already but i never watched them in the correct order so when the series went kinda viral again i decided to rewatch it and i got reminded of why it's so dear to my heart🫡 you truly should rewatch it but be careful about that because then you might actually have to listen to me talk about it forever😈 oohhhh i've heard about a few of those and omg about ponyo!!!! have you seen THIS i'm losing my mind is there anything he can't do :( also NO stop❗️❗️ you literally deserve a 100 million times of the love i give u☹️ just lost vision in my left ear oh myg od,,, i feel so happy that you'd give me a song rec i might pass out i was listening to the song like 😭💗😌🎧💘🥹💓 AND THE TIKTOK😭😭 i love seeing him in high spirits like that and somehow the crazy frog song is just . it just feels so fitting for him i can't lie<3 i also loved the fics you posted for yj and sb so so so much they're so comforting and i keep coming back to read them again🫶🏻🫶🏻 now for the colors: if we're strictly going off of colors and not cuts it would probably be: yeonjun - blue or pink, soobin - blue or black??, beomgyu - i will not even attempt this one😐 taehyun - the color he had here (and this video) will always have a place in my heart🫡 hyuka - PLATINUM BLOND i didn't have to think about this for a single second it suits him SO well!! what about you!!!! and omg no unfortunately i don't play any instruments😔 literally one of my life's biggest regrets i think it's so cool when people do because i can't even read sheet music :/ do you play any🫶🏻 thank you again for your sweet reply beffie i'm sorry for only getting back to you now even though i've reread it 10 times already because i just couldn't believe how adorable it is :(( i saw your last post and even though i can't really offer you much help i hope you know i'll always be here to talk to u if you need someone and please keep in mind that you don't have to force yourself to write something if you're not feeling well!!!!☹️ and finally how was your vacation!!!!!! i hope you had fun and that you'll be doing better soon🫶🏻 i 💓 u a million times more💘💓❤️‍🔥😽 -🧃

AAA my sincerest apologies then for causing u such anxiety (i understand that feeling well) and for taking a while but im reassured that u feel reassured in return 🥺🥺🥺 no don’t cryyy i had a lot to say but omg FINE! u are most definitely right if it means that ur always right and correct <3 omg how rude of me to forget about my ring you’ve already bestowed me </3 i will cherish it for LIFEEE i love the goggles/minions look on beomgyu like in the ‘come back home’ performance and in the frost mv there’s just something abouttttt that look!!!!! ik beomgyu wanted to get rid of his long hair but it was so iconic especially with the goggles very chef kiss of him !! and im glad u at least agree with me about the emotionality of txt’s music ~~ i hope this winter gives us snow or at least even during the months where winter is too stubborn to transition into spring ! you and i feel the same way about each other’s replies hehe i feel warm all around <3 ty for still replying to me <3 omg i hope u rest well and enjoy ur vacation well !!! get ur sleep and have fun but be safe ~ oh i think ur reactions to horror movies are natural and good natured haha bc im jumpy AND i either get nightmares or my imagination convinces me im still in the movie idk im just a big scaredy cat im also afraid of the dark (plus thunderstorms and butterflies) ANYWAY!!! wait i wonder if i’ve asked already: do u have any phobias or fears? and hey !! if watching atla means i’d listen to u talk about it then it really makes me want to watch it even more haha <3 AND OMG I SAW THAT WITH THE TAEHYUN AND THE PONYO 🥺🥹 it makes me realize how we all grew up together in a weird way — i looked forward to that movie coming out and tyun looked forward to his voice as sosuke godddd sorry im talking sooo much about myself nono U DESERVEEEE a 100 billion times of the love i give u !!! NOT THE LOST VISION IN UR LEFT EAR why and how are u so funny i get the giggles so often reading ur asks <3 thank you for accepting my song rec with about as consideration and joy that i’ve only ever dreamed of, it makes me feel valid and content <3 u make me feel appreciated and its a not very familiar feeling but i hold it dear to my heart <3 UR USE OF EMOJIS IS SO RIDICULOUSLY CUTE!!! how dare u be the sweetest and kindest and cutest ever,,, just unfair to all other people </3 happy beomgyu = best beomgyu !!!!! and omg thank you so much (abt ur words abt my fics hehe) !!!! 🥺🥺🥺💞🤍🦦 NOW WHY IS UR TASTE FOR TXT HAIR COLOR MINE HAHA no bc beomgyu in any hair color is wonderful <3 i really love his hair rn bc it makes those eyebrows of his and his eyes and his eyelashes pop so pretty ~ (i love that loser = lover video omg the way they look so comfy and the looks they serveddddd) omg blond hyuka was an absolute angel he was glowing so beautifully then it really made him look so beautiful gosh especially with that one photoshoottttttttt i think i like red taehyun a lot but i really loved purple taehyun idk taehyun will never miss !!! i used to play the violin but its been a few years and i’ve already forgotten how to read music but i really want to learn again, my poor violin just sits and collects dust again sorry i just talk so muchhhh about myself ughh omg nono thank YOUUU for ur precious reply <33 oh god that is so sweet that you reread my reply that is sooooooo sweet i cannot get over it oh my goodness — and ah sorry pls don’t worry about me even though im so thankful u reach out to me always especially how u are now <33 thank you for taking the time to talk to me anyway <3 i hope you know im always here for you also, anything u need i’m here to give you <33 and my vacation was very much what i needed 🥺 i only get it every summer and winter break and it’s always so hard to say goodbye to family (my vacation is going to see my family that’s very far from me) so i get sad every time i leave haha but ANYWAY im really sorry im being so negative 🥺 i hope ur vacation has been treating u well and u make very good memories <33 [1/2] 🥲

[porgthespacepenguin]

Q’s Fate and S3 (a Qcard mini-meta)

So this started as an answer to @ellewood117​‘s ask, which then took on a life of its own and became this mini-meta.

You can find the original ask here.

(Spoilers and speculation under the cut.)

Is Q going to die?

Something terrible is going to happen to Q, it's been pretty clear for a few weeks now. But there are three main options in front of us at this point:

Q dies, permanently

Q is saved at the last second

Q dies, but is saved later

Q dies permanently

Let's get the this one out of the way immediately. Q is a huge fan favourite, consistently popular, and probably one of the best loved TNG characters. Him coming to Star Trek Picard was a hugely hyped deal.

Letting him die and then rot forever would be exceedingly bleak, especially by Star Trek standards. Picard is ultimately a show about healing, and we just saw how traumatized Jean-Luc was by his mom’s death. They’re not going to add Q’s permanent death to the pile. That’d just be cruel.

Plus, I doubt JDL would have been happy with the season(s) if they had done Q so dirty. Or Sir Patrick, who is executive producer on the show, for that matter.

So letting him die forever is a remote possibility we don't truly need to entertain. Thank god for that.

Q is saved at the last second

Much more likely than the above, but I doubt it. If this were the direction the show wants to take, they would likely have broadcasted his impending death early on, perhaps circa 2.3 or 2.4. Instead we got hints until 2.7, foreshadowing in 2.7, and a clear announcement in 2.8.

Although Q was everywhere in 2.9, the episode didn't directly deal with him. So as far as the general audience is concerned, they learned he's dying at the end of episode 2.8, and they may see him again in 2.10. Way too short for a last minute save. They’d have wanted to milk it more, for the drama.

That they didn’t, tells me the drama is most likely coming in 2.10.

So: possible, but not likely.

Q dies, but is saved

Hence why @celestialwarzone and I are convinced that although Q will die in the finale (there's a book's worth of foreshadowing at this point), he's likely to be saved later on, for all the reasons I gave above.

If he is, then they're not going to do this off-screen. Fan favourite, etc.

So, on-screen, which means season 3. And nobody other than Picard makes sense.

Besides, season 2 has been taking its cues from Star Trek 4, and potentially Star Trek 2 if Q does dies to save Picard. We also know from interviews that season 3 is another nod to a TOS movie... which leaves 1, 3 or 5. 1 and 5 are out, for obvious reasons, so 3 makes the most sense when we consider that Q is likely going to die.

This is the option that makes the most sense by far, although we don’t have a shred of proof!

How does Q die?

Before we can even talk about how to save Q, our poor entity is going to have to, well. Die. Or disappear. Melt. Whatever.

Here, I'm forced to remain vague as the show has given us mostly foreshadowing in the form of a fairy tale:

“His magic was gone, stolen back in the very manner he had arrived by it in the first place. Beaten at his own game, he melted, and all was right again. In time, they’d forget he was ever there (...)”

Terribly ominous, but not very precise. Of course, it could be a simple metaphor, and Q’s death could be simply that: death.

But death is hard to come back from, even in Star Trek, and the word “melted” does stand out in her tale. So @celestialwarzone​ has a theory that he may fade into the timeline, disappear into the tapestry of time.

A theory that’s backed by Q’s own words:

“I, on the other hand, seem to be simply disappearing... into nothing.”

I’ll be honest: personally, I don’t quite know. I suggested in my time meta that the reason he dies has to do with the new timeline, but that’s the why.

The how will remain a mystery until next week.

How is Q saved?

Take me back to the start

Not knowing how he dies certainly makes it harder to guess how Picard could save him, doesn’t it?

However, I wonder if 2.9 didn’t give us a hint:

"Tragic endings might rewind into joyful beginnings. Moments of loss into those of gains."

Rewinding a tragic ending (Q’s death) into a joyful beginning (Qcard)? Sounds like Search for Q to me.

But what does “rewind” mean in this context? The entire scene shows us Maman’s tragic ending, then Baby!Picard moving in reverse until the fateful moment he opened the door, wishing he could undo it but unable to,

“This moment I am so powerless to reverse.”

And the show has been taking pains to paint both Maman and Q as dying suns, mirroring them extensively, so it would make sense to use her fate as foreshadowing’s of Q’s -- with a twist.

The entire scene, while heartbreakingly poetic, makes little sense if they’re not foreshadowing another tragic ending Picard will be able to undo this time.

Otherwise, we’re just adding on to the trauma pile, and that’s not what the show is about.

Incidentally, this scene reminded me of a song from Coldplay, “The Scientist”, whose music video is famous for going in reverse back to a tragic moment:

undefined

Below the lyrics, abridged for brevity. They’re... interesting, to say the least:

Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry

You don't know how lovely you are

I had to find you, tell you I need you

Tell you I set you apart

Tell me your secrets, and ask me your questions

Oh, let's go back to the start

Nobody said it was easy

It's such a shame for us to part

Nobody said it was easy

No one ever said it would be this hard

Oh, take me back to the start

Hmm.

I was just guessing at numbers and figures

Pulling the puzzles apart

Questions of science, science and progress

Do not speak as loud as my heart

Tell me you love me, come back and haunt me

Oh, and I rush to the start

Running in circles, chasing our tails

Coming back as we are

Two Qs?

Agnes gives us another potential hint:

“To succeed, there must be two Renees. One who lives, and another who dies.”

If there are two Renees, there are two timelines. Perhaps even two versions of Q? Could it be that Picard manages to rewind time to the original “wound” and save Q that way?

But then, we’ve already done time travel this season.

(I HAVE QUESTIONS.)

All pure speculation at this point obviously... But if anyone can find a way to bring back a dead immortal back to life, it’s Picard.

And I’ve long thought that Picard saving Q, instead of being saved by him, was the next step in his character development once he’s overcome his trauma. It would make them equals in the narrative sense (they are equals, don’t mistake me, but in terms of the narrative he’s not there yet) and pave the way for his future ascension. 

A S3 trailer detour

What little the early season 3 trailer gives away raises more questions than it answers, but there are some hidden gems.

Picard is writing letters. Goodbye letters? There seems to be more than one. But who is he sending them to? And why? Is he planning a one-way trip?

“I’m not a man who needs a legacy.”

Legacy? I thought the word was interesting at first, but it’s starting to take on a whole different flavor now that Soong has also been dropping the word left and right in the past 3 episodes...

“Evolution is not an act of preservation, it’s addition.”

Data, my beloved. Ascension, also my beloved. ❤️

Anyway, the part that stood out the most to me is this:

“Those were the days.”

Why would Picard unpack his old TNG uniform? These are 35 years or so out-of-date by now. Even if Starfleet were sending him on a mission, they’d give him a new uniform (like Raffi or Rios), not asking him to dig through his coffers for antiques. So, why?

Are we going back to TNG time? Are they going to pull a Kirk and steal the old Enterprise (assuming it still exists)? Is that why we see them aiming their phasers at something out of frame?

(SO MANY QUESTIONS.)

And the entire senior crew is coming along, we know that. They’re not playing cameos, they’re part of the main cast. So wherever Picard is going, so are they.

I have to ask again, why assemble a geriatric crew of old friends, if the mission isn’t strictly personal?

Just look at Deanna and Will’s lines:

“Aren’t we a bit overdue for a good old-fashioned road trip?”

“I promise, you won’t be alone.”

A good old-fashioned road trip? Certainly doesn’t sound like an official mission to me. And Deanna reassuring Picard that they’ll stand by him only adds to this feeling of a personal mission.

Yet Worf says,

“It is clear sacrifice is required again.”

So it seems they’re going to put themselves in danger. That kind of road trip, then, eh?

(Before we go back to the main ask, this line from Beverly certainly cracks me up:

“When the galaxy comes calling, you love it!”

You know who else occasionally comes calling, to Picard’s annoyance and secret delight, and could be reasonably be compared to a celestial object?

Oh, hi, Q.)

What or who will be the “villain”?

Showrunners described season 3 as a “fascinating and heartbreaking psychological exploration of Picard”, so I’m guessing, no villain?

Note how there are no main villains either in season 2, only consequences of their actions coming back to haunt the protagonists. Soong is perhaps the only exception, but we don’t know what role he’ll play in the finale.

So it wouldn’t shock me at all if season 3 just took the same route, with obstacles and antagonists but no actual villains, if that makes sense.

Will we see Q in S3?

If we do get a Search for Q scenario, I’d assume we won’t see Q until the late part of the season.

That doesn’t mean Q won’t be present as subtext. Look at episodes 2.7 and 2.9: although Q is nowhere, he’s absolutely everywhere.

And if season 3 truly is a psychological exploration of Picard, we’re likely to get a lot of Qcard from Picard’s perspective, which we’ve sorely been lacking. Personally, I’d love it.

Conversely, remember this line from episode 2.7?

“What if the lesson I take is... know him?”

Yes, Picard initially meant that he wants to know Q so he can go “on offense” (PICARD YOU MUPPET), but that ship has clearly sailed. Q is not a threat to them, Soong is. 

So why that line?

Well, if season 2 was “know thyself” for Picard, season 3 could very well be “know Q”. I for one would love to learn more about Q, his background, his feelings...

Imagine if we get both Picard’s perspective and learn more about Q? Bliss.

Anyway, my point is: we could be getting a lot of Q and Q-card, without seeing Q directly on our screen until the end.

But since we’re getting a Q/Riker scene, it’s very likely we’ll see him at some point. So take heart.

[koumine]

24 & 63

(omg this took me forever (this ask was not from today lol))

From the Tropes Mashup game – 24: Soulmates, 63: Everybody Knows/Mistaken for Couple

I wrote a Kai x Din AU ficlet :3. My OC Kai first appeared in An Invitation, read it on AO3!

Notes: queerplatonic Din Djarin x Kai Darso (Devaronian OFC). aromantic allosexual Kai; alloromantic demisexual Din. Soulmate AU where some species have soulmates/soulmarks, some don’t (humans do, Devaronians don’t). Bonus AU where they're in the Resistance circa Star Wars Episode 7, because I felt like it. Also in this one Kai is a Mandalorian from a clan that has no problem with removing your helmet. mirshmure'cya = Keldabe kiss, aka The Forehead Touch™

[ID in alt text.]

[rated T below] [masterlist ->]

Not long after Kai finally convinces Din to let her bed him, things get weird on base. Things between her and him are just the same, of course – well, better, actually, now that she can finally put her hands on him properly whenever they manage to steal a moment in private, can sling her arm over his shoulders and know that it's welcome even in public, can pull him in and tap a quick mirshmure'cya against his helmeted forehead anytime she sees him, whether she's wearing her own helmet or not. It's the people around them that start being weird.

Mainly the humans, Kai notices, in the part of her mind that's always restlessly cataloging details and recognizing patterns, but she doesn't understand the significance of that fact until later.

"Congrats by the way," one of the intel analysts says when Kai brings them the latest chip of stolen First Order data.

"Um, thanks," Kai replies with a winning smile, too distracted by thoughts of hitting the mess for a proper meal to think too much on their words or their flinch when she forgets to keep from showing too many sharp teeth.

"Congratulations," General Leia fucking Organa herself says sincerely, as Kai passes her in the hall afterwards.

"Uh, what for?" Kai asks.

"You and Djarin," General Organa says, raising an eyebrow as though perplexed at Kai's lack of understanding.

"Oh, of course," Kai bluffs. "Thanks." Non-Mandalorian humans are so weird, she thinks as she walks away.

"Hey, Tall One," Jessika Pava says, sliding into the seat across from Kai at her usual mess table. "Short One," she adds cheekily, nodding to Din who is, as usual, cleaning a blaster at the table instead of eating with everyone else. "You two couldn't have waited one more week before finally hitching up? I just lost so many creds in the pool, and Dameron is going to be insufferable about winning for weeks," she complains.

Kai pauses between one bite of bantha brisket and the next. "You bunch of sleemos had a betting pool on when I'd finally get Djarin to sleep with me?" she says mildly, ignoring the irritation that tries to flare up along with a renewed bout of confusion.

"No, not that," Jessika says, starting to frown as though Kai is the one who's being weird. "Not that most of the pilots wouldn't bet on your sex life, but no – I'm talking about the soul bond, obviously!"

She waves her hands at Kai and Din as if in explanation. Kai puts down her knife at the same time that Din puts down the barrel of his blaster pistol; she slowly turns to look at him, as he goes still.

"Djarin," Kai says evenly, as Jessika looks on with slowly widening eyes. "Why the fuck have people been congratulating me all day?"

His shoulders twitch upwards the tiniest bit, his version of a wince. "We're not soul bonded," he says, which assuages that worry at least, but not all the other worries and conclusions that her mind is rapidly constructing.

"Oooooh," Jessika says, eyes wide. "But haven't you two been courting this whole time?"

Kai gapes at her for a moment, discomfort at that thought crawling up her spine. "No!"

At her side, Din is already reassembling his half-cleaned blaster with quick, efficient movements. By the time he finishes, Kai has gathered up her drink and her tray to take it back to Din's room for the talk the two of them clearly need to have.

The two of them stand to leave at exactly the same time without a word about it from either of them, which makes Jessika raise her eyebrows pointedly. But that's not because they're soulmates, Kai thinks as they leave the mess together, that's because they know each other, know each other's minds and movements with the easy certainty of warriors who have fought together, bled together, even found their way into bed together…

Kai doesn't have a soulmark, anyway, because Devaronians never do.

—

Kai's never fully undressed him before, always more interested in getting her hands down his pants than being patient enough to somehow get the upper half of his flightsuit off while working around the complication of his helmet, and Din was hardly complaining about the enthusiasm.

Now, seated across from Kai at the rickety little table in his private quarters, he removes his left vambrace and rolls up the sleeve of his flightsuit, before laying his arm on the table.

The soulmark is an abstract tangle of black lines on the inside of his forearm, slightly raised against his skin, the lines curving and flowing together in a sort of controlled chaos. Din has always found it beautiful, almost mazelike, though he's never been able to follow the lines to any sort of terminus before his eyes get confused. Others have only ever complained that it made their eyes hurt to even look at it.

"We're not soulmates," Kai says immediately, staring at the mark. “Devaronians don’t do soulmates – we never have marks.”

"Human-nonhuman soulmate pairs are rare, but possible," Din says, as though he thinks she's really protesting the possibility of it, as though denying the reality of her rejection for a few seconds longer will keep the queasy hurt from taking hold in his stomach. “Even when the nonhuman partner has no mark.”

Kai grimaces, her shoulders creeping up into an expressive shudder. “Oh, fuck no,” she says. “We’re not doing any of that soul bond shit. Makes my skin crawl.”

She just keep looking at it, at his soulmark, and she's grimacing in clear disgust, and suddenly being looked at with the singular intensity of her focus no longer feels like finding soothing warmth just beyond the scorching heart of a forge – suddenly it feels like being pinned, his bare arm and his soulmark on display like some outlandish, appalling bug. He yanks the sleeve of his flightsuit down and starts putting the vambrace back on – Kai blinks as the mark is covered, and glances at him, and stands up to leave.

Din stands with her, sliding his vambrace back into place. "It doesn't have to mean anything," he says, wrestling his voice into near tonelessness by virtue of practice and sheer will. The thing is, he means it, even if his heart isn't willing to accept it as soon as his head. The Mandalorians that raised him – mostly humans or other species with soulmarks – always held that soulmarks meant only potential; what mattered in the end was your choices, not the arbitrary marks of fate.

Still, Kai's reaction stings, more than he'd like her to see. It’s fortunate, then, that she grabs her tray with a hasty clatter, unusually ungraceful, and leaves without another word.

—

A few days later, Kai has had enough time and space to herself while Din goes on one of the louder sorts of missions to process through the instinctive revulsion at the idea of being soul bonded, even to someone she likes as much as Din Djarin. Enough time and space to realize, with great chagrin, that her little meltdown over the soulmarks thing had resulted in her being a real fucking prick.

As soon as she hears that Din’s back on base, she goes to his quarters and bangs on the door.

"I'm sorry I freaked out," she says as soon as Din's door slides open. "Soul bonds scare the kriff out of me and all the other humans I've known have been very romantically inclined and also very insistent about their soulmarks and soul bonds being ‘gifts from destiny’ or some shit. I shouldn't have assumed that of you."

Din just stands there in the doorway for a long moment, holding very still in that way that means he's either processing her words or having a very subtle meltdown of his own; she very much hopes it's the former rather than the latter.

"...Oh," he says.

"...Oh?" Kai echoes cautiously.

He shifts his weight a little, his chin dipping the tiniest bit to the side in that way that means embarrassment. "...I forgot you were aro," he admits. "Sorry. I should've led with 'destiny is banthashit' and gone from there."

Kai stares at him, mind whirring blankly, for long enough that he shifts again, body language still embarrassed, though never becoming defensive. “You forgot?” she says blankly. “How could you forget?”

"In my defense," he says dryly, a bit ruefully, "when you mentioned it, I was a little too busy holding off a platoon of 'troopers to pay full attention to your mid-slicing banter."

"Simultaneously the best and worst extraction from a covert mission I've ever had," Kai says automatically, grinning brightly, as she always does when anyone brings up that glorious clusterfuck of a mission.

"Absolutely the worst extraction I've ever had to run," Din returns dryly, as he always does, in that nearly flat tone of voice that tends to convince people who don't know him that he really is as humorless as a walking suit of armor.

He was right, Kai thinks, letting her grin soften slowly into a smile. His soulmark doesn't have to mean anything, and nothing has to change. As always, what's between them is their choice.

She puts her hand up on the doorframe and props herself against it, insouciant, taking up his whole doorway and leaning into his space.

He shifts his weight some more, until he's basically leaned all of his weight onto one leg the same way she's leaning, nearly mirroring her. He crosses his arms and lifts his chin in a way that's somehow both challenging and inviting.

She hooks her fingers into his bandolier and tugs him forward half a step until she can tip her head down and bump her forehead against his helmet fondly.

He tilts his head up, returning that fond gesture with the forehead of his helmet for a moment. Then he takes her hand and steps back, pulling her into his room.

—

Later, Kai asks to see the mark again, and Din explains that he knows the mark is for her because it heats up and tingles whenever she gets close.

"That's spooky and weird," Kai says without heat, poking at the mark. With her body curled around his, mostly skin to skin, the mark’s heat almost burns. Impossible to ignore, just as she is.

"Mm," Din says noncommittally. It's normal to him, but he grew up with the idea of it.

Kai keeps poking at it, pressing her fingertips to his skin to feel the heat of the mark, then holding her palm above the mark to feel how the heat doesn't radiate out to the air above it.

"...You're thinking of tactical applications, aren't you," Din says flatly.

She turns a sly, sharp-toothed grin on him. "Could be useful."

Din sighs at her, as though he hasn't already thought of half a dozen creative uses for soulmarks himself. As though his mouth isn't curling into a smile brimming with fondness, hidden under his helmet.

She knows, anyway.

—

[read more? -> check out my AO3!]

[ssweeneys]

What are your predictions for next week’s episode?

sdfjndsjkfnksdjnf Listen, I predict shit is going to go down, Lexi’s play will be a riot and someone will die....

More thoughts under the cut as to not spoil anyone... :D

There's been lots of Maddy pregnancy foreshadowing and I've seen some people speculate that she might already be pregnant. Marsha stated to Nate she was worried he'd get her pregnant and she'd keep it just to spite him, earlier in the season Maddy says she'd look "so sexy pregnant", she's idolizes Samantha who (in her eyes) has a beautiful family and perfect life, and when Nate threatened Maddy with the gun, they highlighted the fact that he touched her side and sorta brushed her stomach. Now, Idk if I firmly believe any of this because it hasn't been insinuated that Maddy and Nate have hooked up at all. Then again, they've been showing snippets throughout random parts of the story so who knows?

To me, I feel like Nate giving Jules the tape was a huge power move on his part. He knows that the only person besides Cal who wouldn't want that tape out is Jules herself. So really, handing it over to her was a way for Nate to wipe his hands clean but also ensure that Cal's secrets never get out. I just feel like it was too easy and I wouldn't be surprised if there's a copy somewhere. Seems weird to me that he didn't even question that to Maddy? But again, guess we'll see.

There was also some foreshadowing too with Lexi and Fez with the whole stand by me thing? I feel like Lexi was very much torn this episode between putting on the play or not because of Cassie's mental state. Fez encouraged her to do it and the whole "stand by me" thing correlates with him standing by her as she goes through with it. And then her waking up and seeing that Cassie was gone... I think solidified the go ahead in Lexi's mind. Like she's gonna do it because as Fez suggested it needs to happen and sometimes people "need to get their feelings hurt".... aka: maybe in some weird way she's hoping it will waken everybody up idk, idk...

Sidenote: I think Fez will get all dressed up and never end up making it to the play bc of the Custer/Faye shit. He’ll either get arrested or something bad will happen. He could be the one who dies? I mean, I hope not because I do love his character and lately he’s been the only comedic relief.

Rue seems like she wants to get clean. That’s all great and dandy but also, let’s not forget that she still owes Laurie a fuck ton of money and she hasn’t paid up. You really think that woman forgot? I theorized that I thought Rue might die. Only because it’s Zendaya and while yes she’s the lead and very much an active and core member of the show, she is super busy and Idk for some reason I just thought she wouldn’t stay on for more than 2 seasons.

I'm willing to bet they're going to leave us on a fucking cliffhanger at the end of this season and man oh man I'm going to be so upset about it lol since we'll have to wait FOREVER to find out what happens.

But yeah those are my theories so far... Also, Idk what's going on with Cal or Elliot anymore. And I think Kat may reach out to Jules and be her lifeline right now as shit between her and Rue continues and since she's no longer talking to Elliot after their whole thing.

I'm scared for everyone tbh. Lexi's about to destroy and expose them all and don't ask me why but I'm kinda here for it.... YOU GO GIRL!!!

[sery-chan-13]

Stay High

Karube Daikichi × Reader

Based off this song

No, because It's a three am sad thought that should have been kept in my head. This is totally not based off of my deepest darkest feeling and fears. Anyways, ignore that. Um... yeah.

Warnings: Episode 3 spoilers, Manga spoilers, weed, smoking, suicide (this went darker than I intended, ok?), and another terrible attempt at angst :)

"Karu! For the last time, we're not getting a freaking parrot!" You scolded. "Aww, why not babe? They're cute," he said, pouting. You smiled kissing him quickly. "... I'll think about it," you said, before heading out. "I think that means we will have a-" "Don't push your luck babe. I'll see you after work."

_______________________________________

"And here is my attempt at trying to be nice. Happy anniversary!" You chirped, sliding a rather large gift his way. It had a draped cover over it, so he couldn't see inside. He looked at you suspiciously, slowly taking it in his hands. You had a camera in your hands, and we're smirking. He didn't trust that smirk. "Why do you have that camera?" He asked, nodding to it. "Just filming. It's a special day babe," you said, hiding your smile. "Can i-" "Don't you dare shake it-" He raised his hands in mock surrender, before slowly lifting the sheet.

You saw the smile that spread across his face. "I said I'd think about it," you said. He stood up, pulling your waist into him. He kissed you softly, making you smile in your head. "I'm guessing this means you like your gift?" You asked, a smirk on your face. "It's a fucking parrot, hell yeah I like it," he said. You laughed, pressing a kiss to his temple.

Tears blurred your vision, falling onto the screen of the camera. Had it really been a year since then?

"Ok, now I get to film you! Welcome to day 1 of our roadtrip, I don't know where we're going, but we'll find out soon enough," Karube said, turning the camera to face him. He then turned it to face you. You were putting your luggage into the trunk of your car, and looked up with a smile, giving the camera a peace sign. The parrot, who you two decided to name Nijiko after much deliberation due to its coloring, squawked on your shoulder. You smiled. "Yes, you'll be going to day care  for a while Nijiko," you spoke to the bird, petting it's beak softly. The bird shivered. "Day care? Nijiko day care?" It squawked, tilting it's head to the side. You nodded. "Yes, smart bird. Nijiko is going to daycare," you praised. "I sometimes wonder if she loves the bird more than me. The answer is yes. Yes she does," Karube said, laughing as you spoke to the bird.

"Update, it's been 4 hours, and we are in the middle of no where. The child(the bird) has been dropped off at day care... well boarding? For the week. The music's pretty good though, and this angel next to me is still here, so we're all good," he said. He was really serious about filming this. "Babe, why are you filming this again?" You asked, reaching to grab his hand on the center console. "Because memories baby girl," he responded, kissing the back of your hand as it was intertwined with his. You laughed, blowing him a kiss, turning your attention back to the road.

"Day 3 of our roadtrip, (Y/N) is deciding on what to wear, but as I've told her, she looks great in everything," he stated. You flipped him off, picking out something to wear finally. "Wowwwww, I can really feel the love," he said sarcastically, holding a hand to his chest dramatically. "Shut up, you know I love you," you said, rolling your eyes. "I know you do. Who wouldn't love me?" he joked. "I don't know babe. Watch it though, 'cause you're mine~!"

"Ok, it's a few hours later, (Y/N) is getting snacks, and I'm super nervous, because of this," he said, talking to camera. He pulled out a small box, showing the ring to the camera. "I've been documenting this whole thing like a maniac, because I didn't want her to be suspicious. But anyways, yeah... I've been thinking about it for a while, seeing as we've been together since high school. I am terrified, in all honesty," he rambled, running a hand through his hair. He put the small box back to where you wouldn't find it, but he wouldn't lose it. He saw you walking back to the car, and smiled. You opened the door, giving him a weird look. "You're filming again?" You questioned. He nodded. "You love the sound of your voice don't you?" You asked with a smile. He laughed, "Not as much as I love yours."

_______________________________________

He placed the camera was on a nearby fence post, facing you two, close enough to see and hear both of you. He started recording, and gave a thumbs up to the camera. You looked out to the water, admiring the hues of blue. The water crashed into the shore, spraying you with water. "You know when we get married, I'm definitely going to take you here again," he said. You kept looking out at the water, not noticing him. "When we get married? You already have this planed?" You laughed. You turned to face him, not seeing him at eye level. You looked down, and your eyes widened. "As I was saying, when we get married-" he started, getting interrupted when you jumped onto him, throwing your arms around his neck. You both fell to the sand, and you two couldn't help but laugh. "Are you serious? Like, really?" You asked, tears in your eyes. "Yeah, I'm serious. (Y/N), you've been with me for what seems like forever. I love you so much, and I want to be yours forever. Just as much as you'll be mine. So... would you do me the honor, and marry me?" He asked. He might have sounded confident, but he was shaking on the inside. The tears in your eyes fell, and you laughed nodding. "Yes, a million times yes," you said. He laughed, letting out a sigh of relief. You hugged him tightly, your head in the crook of his neck. "Forever and ever?" You whispered. "Forever and ever."

You looked down at the ring on your finger, crying even harder. His side of the bed stayed empty, no one would ever be able to sleep there. Not even you. His side of the room stayed untouched. The same way it had been left that morning. Before the accident.

"(Y/N)... I know you're sad, but this isn't healthy for you... just... call me back once you get this," Arisu sighed. "No answer again?" Usagi asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. He shook his head. "She's been with our group as long as I can remember. And she's been... she had been... with Karube even longer. If it's hard on me, I can't believe how hard it must be on her," Arisu explained. Usagi pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I'm sure she's fine. All people cope with things differently. Just give her space."

You were most definitely not fine. The grief that filled you everytime you saw Arisu's name on your phone, when you looked at anything that once belonged to Karube.  For the first time in the past few weeks, you wandered into the kitchen, and saw the binder filled with the ideas you two had for the wedding. You looked away, tears filling your eyes once more. You couldn't escape the sorrow that had filled your life. It seemed like he was everywhere. Even when you turned on the damn TV the news was talking about the incident. The names of the victims would pop up with pictures, and you would quickly turn it off. You grabbed the folder, ripping up all the papers in there, shredding them to bits in a fit of sadness. You dropped to your knees, holding the final piece of paper. You sniffled, wiping your eyes, looking down. It was in Karube's hand writing, and you took a deep breath. Eventually, you would have to read these things. Eventually, you would have to clean up his side of the room. You decided to start off small. By reading whatever this was.

'I may not be good at expressing my feelings, and this is not going to be the first time you've all heard me tell you how wonderful this woman is, and how much I love her. It certainly won't be the last, if I have any say in it. To which I do. If I could go back to the day we met, and you told me I would be marrying her, I would believe it. Because I've loved you from day one (Y/N). And now, I'll have you. Forever and ever.'

- Karube (rough draft, don't let (Y/N) find this)

You whimpered, holding the piece of paper to your chest. This was too much for you. You needed a distraction.

"Eh, just give me the money, no one will ever know," the woman said. You gave her the money, and she passed you a bag. "I promise it gets better dear. And be careful with that," she said sweetly. You nodded, your face so devoid of any emotion, it was hard to tell if you were still alive. Your world felt so numb to any emotion but hurt.

The burn of the smoke in your throat was satisfying. For the first time since his death, you felt something. Your eyes lazily looked up, staring at the ceiling.  The smell of the weed filled up the room and you rolled your eyes. For once the pain was gone. You couldn't think of anything in the moment other than being hungry. The first time in weeks that had happened.

That was your new routine. Wake up, lounge around, look through the videos and pictures of both of you, get high of your mind. It was the only way you'd forget. Was it healthy? No. Did you care? Also no. You started ignoring Arisu's calls, messages, and voice mails. Leaving them unseen, and unheard. He was worried, and Usagi had gotten worried as well, even though she'd only met you once at the hospital. You seemed like a pleasant person, and according to Arisu, you never left someone in the dark that long. You would usually respond quickly if you weren't at work. But, do to the incident, there wasn't work for a few weeks. That made him worry.

When he found out why you weren't answering, he was shocked. Your apartment wasn't exactly a mess. There were a few papers scattered in the kitchen, and uncollected mail, but other than that, your apartment was clean. He was so confused, hearing you giggling and talking to yourself in your room.

He knocked on the door, opening it slowly. "(Y-y/N)?" He asked hesitantly. You looked up, your eyes lazy and red. The smell of weed in your room was strong, the smoke going out of the window. How long had you been doing this? Had it become self destructive? These were questions he asked himself before seeing you doze off to sleep.

"What the hell were you thinking (Y/N)! You can't- you can't destroy your life over it! I- I was so worried! I've already lost two friends, I can't lose you too!" He scolded. It was a few hours later, and your high had passed. "Why do you care?" You snapped, the conversation being boring to you. The hurt you hadn't felt in weeks came back. He was back in your mind, not as your wonderful fiancé, but as the man you had lost. The man who you had to bury in the ground. It was horrible. Your mind hated the images of his body, lifeless and devoid of his usual smile. You hated it. Absolutely despised it.

"Because you're my friend! You've been my friend since high school! I know it hurts (Y/N), believe me I know, but you can't destroy your fucking life and mental health!" He scolded. It was so unfair to you, in your head. That he was saying something like that. "You want to know what's really destroying my mental health?! Not having him anymore! The fact that he's dead, and I can't- I can't-" you couldn't finish your sentence. Arisu felt bad, but this was an intervention. He had to be a bit forceful for you to stop. "Karube wouldn't want you to do this," he said softly. You felt more tears fall. But you didn't know how to deal with this. "How do you know what he wants?! He's dead!" You screamed. "H-hes dead," you whispered, your voice breaking. Arisu hugged you tightly as you cried. "Can I just know why?" He asked. "He's gone, and I have to stay high all the time to keep him off my mind. Gotta stay high... all my life to forget I'm missing him," you whispered. It was true. It was the only way you could feel something other than pain. The smoke made your mind hazy, and your sadness drifted away. But it wasn't healthy. And it would never be. "It gets better (Y/N)... please, just... stay with me for a week. So I can have peace of mind?"

2 years later

You sat on the sand of the beach, the waves crashed onto the rocks nearby, and a breeze blew the salt water into your face. You looked down at the ring on your finger, sighing at the sight of the shiny gem. You smiled sadly, pressing a kiss to it. "Soon my darling... soon we'll be together again. Forever and ever."

Because the high kept him off your mind, you didn't learn how to cope any other way. The only way was to feel any other pain. You had tried to meet other people, but no one was ever as good. You couldn't even talk to other guys without feeling guilt. It felt wrong. It was like whatever you did, you couldn't get over it. At all. In fact, it had gotten worse over the years. Especially on the yearly anniversary of the incident. Reporters would go to your home and ask you questions, seeing as people had asked you while you were in the hospital. How we're you supposed to get over it when you were reminded constantly?

So there was no thoughts in your head as you walked into the water. It was cold, shocking you. If you didn't drown, you'd die of hypothermia. And that was fine with you.

Forever and ever, no?

Ok, ok, ok.... wow, wowowowowow, this was a three am sad thought that did not have to be written, ok, um wow... that was darker than I intended, holy shit-

I promise I'm done with the terrible attempts at angst, and I promise I'm working on the my other oneshots/books. It's just that when I have an idea, I need to write it before I forget.

Remember that people love you, even if you think no one does, I promise you they do. If you really need help, please find it, and if you would like, I'm always glad to talk to people if they need my help.

[agentmarymargaretskitz]

Upon thinking about it more, I do want to say that I was absolutely NOT disappointed with Buck Begins. It was really good! Oliver Stark and Jennifer Love Hewitt and the actors who played the younger versions of them were all amazing!

I also 100% read Buck as being bisexual in the episode. He was absolutely flirting with the guy at the bar! And a bi person is still bi even when they're with someone of a different gender, I would never claim otherwise! I'm bisexual myself, I get it. I was just hoping for it to be explicitly stated in canon is all. Or even if they didn't use the word (like most network shows don't), they they would show him having a fling with a guy or something! I just want Buck to be canonically bisexual so bad, and it felt like a huge missed opportunity.

I just... felt more emotionally from the prior episode. The "Love me anyway" line from 4x04 absolutely broke me. I wish I had felt more from Buck's emotional state in the factory fire. Like I said, I think the lack of reaction from the other characters when the explosion happened. I felt robbed of Bobby and Chimney and Eddie's reactions. If you look closely you can see the fear in their eyes, but... I was hoping for a little more.

(I was also not expecting any sort of a big reaction from Eddie like lots of fans were, because that's just not who he is. There was just almost nothing shown, which was disappointing.)

Thr firefam having his back was peak poetic cinema and I will forever be grateful for that moment.

And I *know* things were different because of Covid. I just... even trying to de-hype it in my mind going in, I ended up feeling a bit disappointed.

Maybe it's just because Chimney Begins was so amazing and I can't help but compare the Begins episodes? Even though I'm trying not to... god I wish I could love it the way so many other fans did!

Also, Nurse Omar is my new favorite side character. I loved how invested he got with Buck's life! And he seemed like the only person who Maddie could actually call a friend at the time. And how he desperately tried to get her to leave Doug, but he couldn't force her to, so he just supported her however he could. He was great and I was glad we got to see him.

I guess I'm just sick of the reminders of Doug. He existed, of course he would be mentioned in the flashbacks, but I didn't want to keep seeing the reminders of what he did to Maddie. Hopefully he can stay in the past now.

So over all, I did like the episode. It just felt a little lackluster compared to some of the others, but none of that is on the actors. They were all incredible. It's more on the writers and the editors.

Maybe it will be more impactful upon rewatch once the season is over. Maybe they'll come back to some of these plot threads and keep addressing Buck's emotional state.

I'm still holding out for a Buddie "we need to talk" cliffhanger at some point. Is there a patron saint or god for bisexuals? Because we need a serious prayer circle 🤡🤡🤡

-Quarantine Anon

Those two knocked it out of the park. I watched the episode over my lunch break and was screaming into my hands for so much of the time.

I did not mean to go off in an angry bisexual rant (the LoT fandom has left some marks on me) and I’m sorry about that. Maybe there was some stuff that gave more hints that got left on the cutting room floor? (Whoever is doing editing, we need to talk about those cut tiny scenes!) And it may be a network thing too. IDK.

“Love me anyway” was absolutely heartbreaking and it’s hard to top. Massively hard. There might have been some self projection going on with me watching the factory fire, I dunno. And if we weren’t in a pandemic, maybe we would have seen more reaction without the masks. Plus, yes- good point on Eddie.

That moment- showing what family is- that is gonna stick with the fandom for so long. I expect to see it in the next 118 firefam gifsets.

Chimney Begins was a goddamn masterpiece of hope and pain and I still remember how it tore me apart. Maybe Buck Begins will be better with age? Who knows?

Omar was awesome and I fell in love with him. I’m kinda sticking with an idea that he was so happy when Maddie didn’t come into work after she ran away because she’d finally ditched Doug.

Doug is a tough subject. He’s a part of history, but one people want to forget. It’s hard to watch that shit. 

Maybe we should fight the editors for the cuts?

YES A BUDDIE ‘WE NEED TO TALK’ MOMENT!!! Does Apollo or Dionysus count for the bisexual protection? Lady Gaga? IDK. But imagine that happening before hiatus and then something again that’s definitely A THING by the end of the season.

[blue-maiden4]

Together Forever and Growing Pains

I'M IN LEGIT PAIN RIGHT NOW.

MY POOR BOY 😭😭

Anyways I'm gonna leave my thoughts on these episodes down here so spoilers right ahead:

-First of all: Ruby, Sapphire I know you tried to help, but dear Arceus proposing at the age of 16 IS NOT A GOOD IDEA AT ALL.

-Can we appreciate how handsome Steven looks on that shirt and suit? Damn he looks good on it 👀 (If he weren’t a minor I would marry him, but my heart already belongs to Leon so nevermind, pretend I said nothing)

-Rather than saying a straight 'no', Connie said 'not now', AND HONESTLY THAT'S SO SWEET AND IM DYING. And Steven's heartbroken face DESTROYED ME. I've never experienced such feeling but I can imagine how much it hurts. I really appreciate how Connie handled the situation in such a mature way, like she wanted to talk out things first and such. She is without a doubt Steven's soul mate ❤️.

-Watching Steven just laying on the sand while crying broke my heart in a million pieces, I felt your pain Steven, and it sucks that you have to go through this when you’re dealing with some heavy issues right now.💔

-"There isn't a future where you didn't proposed" I'm double dead now, the fact that no matter which time line they're on, Steven would propose to Connie. My heart 😭.

-Also I've seen some people asking why Steven is so worried of Connie leaving, like, he can just go visit her with Lion's help, but remember he can do the same with Lars and he acted the same way, so despite being able to visit them, the whole feeling that he's getting left behind is what is triggering these kind of reaction (or at least that's what I think).

-And remember, no matter how much you love a person, do not propose to them at the age of 16 (sorry I had to this xd) 

Okay now moving onto Growing Pains aka the episode that destroyed me physically and emotionally:

-BOI Where do I even start with this one? Okay first, seeing Steven all depressed over Connie's rejection and just eating ice cream and all kinds of sweets as a coping mechanism hits home. And this is something people do in real life when they are going through a heartbreak. Poor boy he needs a hug. 

-I would be lying if I said I didn’t scremaed the moment his body started growing our of nowhere, HOLY SHIT THE CORRUPTION THEORY IS SLOWLY BECOMING A REALITY. LIKE THAT SHIT STARTED AS SOME SORT OF JOKE, IT AIN’T FUNNY ANYMORE 😰.

-Connie being concerned about Steven and convicing him to see a doctor is the best thing ever. FINALLY SOMEONE THAT MAKES HIM SEEK HELP (Sort of)

-Okay, the fact Steven’s bones are fractured or broken is really worrying. Like, the only reason this kid isn’t dead is because of his healing powers is really messed up, and if we remember what happened in CYM, it makes sense why he was so weak and nearly dying, it was ‘cause his body was so damaged on the inside and the only things keeping together was his own gem half.

Seriously just look at all those cracks in his bones

-Also, the way Dr. Maheswaran explained how his body was constantly healing, yet it looked that mentally he hasn’t healed, that hit me like a truck. It also reminded of Pink Pearl, her gem showed no signs of damage, yet that crack on her eye was mostly due to the trauma she still had.

-The fact Steven is having the same side effect is just so....AGH I can’t even describe it, there’s no words that can say it.Seriously, he’s been through some heavy stuff since he was 13, with being so close to dying a million times, seeing loved ones die in front of him, his self doubt and existencial crisis due to Pink’s/Rose’s mistakes. That’s some serious and heavy shit, that surely was to have some effect on Steven at some point.

He’s been trying so hard to just forget about it and move on, but it’s not that simple. Those experiences are somthing that will haunt him forever until he adresses them properly. Also, the fact he tended to bottle up his emotions as a kid had also a role in all of this, he had to deal with this stuff on his own, he couldn’t talk to anyone about it, ‘cause he didn’t knew what else to do without becoming a burden.

-”What you haven’t told her?!” 

DUDE, YOU SERIOUSLY EXPECTED CONNIE TO TELL HER MOM HOW YOU FRICKING PROPOSED TO HER? COME ONE, SHE IS OBVIOUSLY NOT GONNA TELL HER, SHE WOULD HAVE FREAK OUT AT THE IDEA OF 16/15 YEAR OLDS GETTING MARRIED FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE.

-Bruh, the moment he was starting to tear up, due to all the stress and pressure he was feeling at that moment. And the way he snapped out at Connie....oof, like I don’t blame him at all, but it broke my heart. The pain he was feeling at the moment...god...😭😭😭.

-Greg getting in there and comforting him, that’s what made me cry, the whole thing that Steven’s feeling like he’s always about to die, and how he’s supposed to be happy now that everyone is saved but just can’t....it hurted....a lot. 

-And my respect and love for Connie and her mom increased here, not only she called the only person that could calm him down/help him, but they also treated Steven in way as to not alter him more and without judging. Seriously, I’m surprised Dr. Maheswaran, wasn’t like WTF the moment Steven started listing all of his traumatic experiences, instead she only explained how all of this gem stuff he’s been involved with has caused him so serious trauma.

-Now let me just say, that even though it is mostly th CG and Greg (to some degree, like the dude tried his best), we have to remember that the Gems have no idea about how a human body works, let alone how a mind of a person works. And it’s true that it wasn’t a good idea for Steven to move in with the Gems at such a young age, heck Greg is his father, he is supposed to take care of Steven and such, but considering the circumstances and that Steven is half-gem, he probably thought it was for the best, as he couldn’t teach him about gem stuff, probably the CG convinced him about this. Now, with the whole ‘they should have noticed or figured out something was wrong with Steven’, let me tell you one thing: that’s not how it works. Sure a parent should be able to tell when there’s something wrong their kid, but considering Steven became so dang good at avoiding the subject and bottling up his emotions (keeping them to himself), it practically impossible to tell when something is wrong. Parents aren’t physics, they can’t read our minds, so unless we are the ones that address the issue, there’s no other way they can’t find out about our problems. And that’s what happens in Steven’s case, and since they didn’t wanted to push him to talk about it, well, that makes it harder.

CONCLUSION: 

THIS TWO EPS DESTROYED ME, SERIOUSLY THEY LEFT ME IN LITERAL PAIN.

I was expecting them to make me cry, but dear lord, they were such heavy episodes, they even suprassed Prickly Pair, which is an episode that also messed up with my emotions. But these two made me cry. They just hit so close to me.

I’m not sure I’m gonna survive til the finale (really one of the next week eps is called Fragments, and that doesn’t give me any good vibes)

NOW IF YOU’LL EXCUSE ME, I WILL GO CRY IN A CORNER WHILE CURLED UP IN A BALL AS I LISTEN TO DEPRESSING MUSIC CAUSE I DON’T KNOW OF ANOTHER WAY TO COPE WITH THE PAIN.

[roswelldetails]

RNM 2x05 - I'll Stand By You

So just a little note from me, the person behind the season 2 detailing.  I am trying really really hard to keep emotion out of these posts...which is really really hard for me because I'm an inherently emotional person. I'm a glass case of emotion, ready to shatter at any given moment. (#dramatic)  But I want to be true to the intent of this blog and keep my feelings, biases, and, you know, shipping out of this blog.

It was really really hard to do with this episode. Because I straight up ugly cried for like, 45 of the 60 minutes. 😂

So I guess, the point is, I'm proud of myself and sticking to the details here. My regular blog is where I'm doing the emotional flip out thing! 😂

EPISODE SUMMARY:

ACCEPTING REALITY — The discovery of some complications with Max’s (Nathan Dean) pod forces Liz (Jeanine Mason), Michael (Michael Vlamis) and Isobel (Lily Cowles) to confront the possibility that they may not be able to save him. Elsewhere, Maria (Heather Hemmens) and Alex (Tyler Blackburn) make amends. Kimberly McCullough directed the episode written by Alanna Bennett & Jason Gavin (#205). Original airdate 4/13/2020. 

DETAILS:

Max/Isobel/Michael reunite at age 11 according to what Michael tells Alex in 1x10.  So that would make the opening of this episode set in 2002ish.

Michael tells Max and Isobel, "I remember you. I don't know you."

"After nobody adopted me for a year they just stuck me with the name of that trucker who found us."

"I didn't ask you for anything."

This is like the thesis statement of Michael's whole history with Max in the flashbacks.

"Don't pay more than you collect, kid. Passing credit back and forth is a good way to get stuck with somebody forever."

Rosa's art. 

What I can see says: "...what they all told me, but I didn't listen" and "Stand the shelter".

Rosa on her dreams

"I have not had any freaky dreams in weeks. Okay, Max is probably off haunting Isobel now that they're strong enough for their psychic twincest weirdness."

"How long has that been happening?"

"Um, I don't know. It's an old boom box."

"Rosa, have electrical appliances been malfunctioning around you?"

"I really thought it was just a side effect of the handprint."

"If being in the pod introduced a new protein into your system it could have altered your DNA too. You could be developing abilities."

"Liz, look. The handprint is changing.  It's smaller."

"It's fading."

"Tell me this is a good thing."

"I don't think so."

Michael and Liz theorizing on why the pod shorted out:

"The pod's got a charge. It's like a battery powering the preservation process. This one's gone dead."

"Did the generator blow the electromagnetic threshold?"

"I think a surge came from the pod itself. But that pod has lasted almost a century. It shouldn't glitch out."

"Okay, well, then, this one did."

"All right, stop. It doesn't matter why the pod is broken. It just is. So how long does Max have?"

"My theory is that being tethered to Rosa through the mark is what kept Max from going brain-dead, and in turn the stasis process is what kept the mark from fading. So he could be gone by tonight."

"Okay, well, we have three more pods. So let's just put him into another pod."

"No. He's just gonna do it again. I haven't told you everything. I didn't want to scare you. I didn't want to be the one that took the hope away."

"Talk now, Rosa. Right now."

"I was seeing Max in my nightmares months before I told you about it, and he was begging me to stop you. He said that he was in a lot of pain in there."

"That's Noah's pod. Noah told us it was broken. It wasn't keeping him in stasis. He could feel time passing. None of us thought of that."

"We've been doing everything we can to make Max stronger. He pulled his own plug."

Note...as far as we know Isobel was the only one who knew about Noah's pod being broken.  In 1x12 it was before Liz arrived at the house that he told them about the broken pod, so only Max and Isobel heard that part of the story.

Alex on his training. "NSA intelligence cryptology training".

Monitor screen in the secret lab:

Noah's heart is still too weak to transplant. Kyle says it needs at least eight more weeks

"I wrote a paper for a bioethics class on patients in vegetative states who feel pain. Sometimes it's all they feel."

As a non sciencey person, I was wondering if bioethics class was a real thing. Tonight I saw an interview on the news with a UC Berkeley bioethics professor on COVID. So yes, it's a thing.

Alex on Michael that summer post-Rosa's death:

Starting fights with jocks

Broke into the drugstore

Not going to UNM

Hasn't hung out with Max all summer

Got busted for stealing hubcaps (Kyle's hubcaps, we learn later) 

Became a walking bar fight

Was in jail when Alex left to enlist

Michael on Max in 2008:

"It's more than that. And it's less than that. We were friends when we were kids, but now Max reminds me of a bunch of stuff that I'd rather forget. The only thing that we have in common anymore is Isobel."

Max's yearbook had a pencil stuck in the page with Liz and Max's photo in it. (The one we first saw in 1x03).

"Biology Club. Max hated science. He was in that club for four years just to watch your sister chew on the end of her pencil."

Max's mindscape:

First just desert, clouds, and then lightning strikes (destructive energy?)

Liz's antennae -- they disappear from Isobel's hands

Rosa describes it as broken

Crashdown special is Max's favorite "Little Green Man milkshake".

The Crashdown counter is kind of merged with biology lab equipment. 

The juke box is there

The Crashdown booths

Jeep

Neon Crashdown sign

One of those claw drop game machines (from the Crashdown) but it's filled with baked good displays.

The yearbook

Later, everything else is gone except the one Crashdown booth, the Jeep, and the neon sign.

The distorted music they follow to find Max is the Cactus Groove song in the music list...just, messed around with. See @angsty-nerd's post here:

"I'm the hothead. You are the hero. It's always been that way."

"You stole the hubcaps off Kyle Valenti's graduation present. Both his parents are cops. Do you want to end up in jail tonight?". 

👀 Tonight, specifically. 

Michael seemed excited about the job at Foster's Ranch until he found out that Max set it up for him.  Max found out about it from his dad (only like the 2nd or 3rd mention of his dad in the series so far).

"When I got back in town I asked Max why you and your brilliant mind hadn't changed the world yet. He said you didn't care about the world enough to bother changing it. He believed you could."

Max and Isobel in the mindscape:

"You're okay. I could feel something was wrong with you.  Everything felt…"

"Cold. I know."

"You can't be here. It's finally ending.  I can feel it. But I don't know what happens if you're in my head when I die."

"So it's true? You want this?"

"I could feel my connection to the outside world getting stronger, so I snapped. I couldn't take it anymore. I released a surge. You have to let me go, Iz."

"I can't take it anymore."

"Okay."

"I am so sorry."

"I just want to memorize this."

"Okay. Okay.  I need you to tell Liz something."

"You can tell her yourself.  She and Kyle are prepping for surgery.  They're going to use the faulty heart. She just wants to talk to you before you die."

"No. No."

"You won't be suffering. They're just gonna bring you back and then let you go."

"No you have to stop this.  You cannot bring me back under any circumstances."

"Max? What is really going on?"

"I am dangerous.  Whatever Liz is bringing back is not me. It's just some broken shell."

Maria on her mom's computer 

"Her nurse said that for the two weeks before she went missing, when she wasn't trying to escape, she was talking to someone online."

The 21st birthday flashback

Isobel gets Michael to help move Max after getting drunk on tequila.  He passed out in front of the tattoo parlor. It's the same tattoo parlor Michael goes to at the end of the episode.

Max's weird drunken statement.

"The thing is, there has to be there. Okay? There's always three. Until the very end.  I'll show you...What it means is you should be here…'cause it's all broken without three. So we'll figure it out.  You'll find your way back."

👀 Until the very end. Interesting.

On Max becoming a deputy:

"You know he did the whole police academy thing because of you, right? He thinks you're gonna get into the kind of trouble you can't get out of if you don't know someone."

Back in the mindscape:

"I figured it all out. She, there's an energy to suffering, there's an energy to death, and when I heal people, I absorb that energy. So when I resurrected Rosa, I took in ten years of emptiness. So if you resurrect me, you will be bringing back an infection. Don't want… I don't want to come back as a monster. I don't want to hurt anyone that I care about."

"That's what this is about? We've been hurting, Max. We don't work without you."

"You will! You will. You are stronger now than when I died. All of you are. You, Michael, Liz, you will survive this. The three of you. No, you need to stop them, Iz. Now."

"Okay. I love you."

"You too." Isobel disappears.

Max is using pretty similar wording to his drunken rambles in the 21st birthday flashback

We don't see that Max is chained down until this next exchange with Rosa. Isobel didn't see that detail as far as we know.  Didn't hear the chains clanking when they stood and hugged. Only after Isobel left.

"I'm sorry this is happening."

"Isobel is lying. She is buying time.  You know she'll never let me go. But you can feel the darkness too, right? That's why you don't like being in my head. Because you know it's real."

"I didn't want that to be true, but yes."

"I know my sister and I know your sister and they'll never give up. So you have to be the one to stop this surgery, okay? Or I will destroy everything that we love. You have to stop them to save them. Now go.  Please, Rosa. Go."

Isobel explaining to Liz

"When he saved Rosa he absorbed all of that dark energy. He's gonna have to expel it."

"And he's afraid he's gonna kill someone when he does."

"Yeah. So we just need someone stronger than Max to take that hit...if he thinks he needs to protect us he obviously doesn't know how capable we are. Bring him back, Liz. I'll handle the rest."

"I get it now. It's gotta be the three of us."

"He would never pull his plug to end his own suffering. Unless he thought he was saving us from something. And I'm a little sick of his heroic martyr crap."

In case you missed it, Michael did not know that.  At the beginning of the hospital sequence Isobel is telling Liz what she learned in Max's mindscape and says that she hasn't been able to get ahold of Michael.  Michael figured it out on his own. He finally "got it".

The pacemaker:

Isobel with Max at the end… everything is gone except the Jeep. And Bright Eyes playing (the song he and Liz danced to on their first date back in 2008). And then his eyes close and Bright Eyes fades away.

“First thing I remember is the three of us. We woke up terrified and lost. But together. And then all of the sudden I was alone. I got real good at being alone. I had given up on people entirely. And then you found me again. Hell of hero move. You showed up just in time. When you are a kid who nobody loves, kindness is a currency. Friendship doesn’t means jack. Family just lies, and hurts, and leaves. I’ve only ever known love to be temporary. So yeah, I push people away. Every time someone threatens to care about me I test their love until they have to leave. Connection is conditional. Everybody eventually gives up on the guy who refuses to be rescued. But you were the only one who I couldn’t run off. You never believed me when I tried to be something I wasn’t. So this thing in your chest, it might give your heart a pretty solid kick every once in a while. Consider it payback. It’s my hero move, Max. If you wake up, you consider us even, okay? If you wake up, we can be a family.”

Good visual parallels during Michael's speech. Alex and Kyle drinking together during the "and then you found me again". Maria walking up on "the guy who refuses to be rescued"

Max is in the coma for three weeks.  Wakes up at the secret lab (instead of his house, which is where he was previously.  I'm guessing it was a planned wake up because he's no longer plugged into all of the IVs and whatnot.

"I begged you to understand."

"Max, it's gonna be fine."

"No… I told you to let me go. I can feel it inside me."

"It's...it's symmetry, okay? It's just energy for energy.  We can deal with that. Fight it, Max. This isn't you."

"I don't want to hurt you. I need to get out. I need to get away from you, from everyone."

"I can't let you do that."

Max shoves Isobel and runs. When he shoves her there's a slight ringing like the sound they use when the aliens use their powers.  Isobel follows and stops him with her powers.

"I made a promise that if you came back and you weren't Max, and you were actually going to hurt people that I would kill you. I figure, hey, you got to play God. Make life and death decisions all on your own. Well it's my turn now."

MUSIC:

1. Letters To Cleo "Here and Now"

2. Lady Antebellum "Love Don't Live Here"

3. Cactus Groove "Fallin"

4. James Talley "Big Thunder"

8. Ross Copperman "Stars Are On Your Side"

5. Lindsey Ray "Keep You Safe"

6. Tommee Profitt feat. Sam Tinnesz "With you Til The End"

7. Bright Eyes "First Day Of My Life"

The Cactus Groove song is the first song this season that I haven’t been able to find on Spotify… let me know if any of y’all had any luck with it!